Full throttle at the DEKRA Lausitzring: Who can stop championship leader Thomas Preining?

• The Austrian enters the second half of the season at the DEKRA Lausitzring with a lead of 28 points.
• Second-placed Sheldon van der Linde eager to repeat last year’s double win.
• Local hero Maximilian Paul to contest home race after first DTM victory.

Munich. The DTM enters the second half of the season at the DEKRA Lausitzring this weekend (18th to 20th August). Championship races number nine and ten are up next and front-runner Thomas Preining (A) is the man to beat at the track to the north of Dresden. Those chasing him need to make up ground in Lusatia and are eager to prevent the Austrian who has been driving consistently strongly thus far from pulling away from the pack. His challengers include Maximilian Paul (Dresden), who is taking momentum into his home race after his first DTM victory at the Nürburgring. Will that be enough for further success? The statistics suggest a different winner: There has been a different driver on the top step of the podium in each of the previous eight races – a new DTM record. ProSieben will be broadcasting the two DTM races live on German free TV, with coverage starting at 13:00 CEST on both Saturday and Sunday, 30 minutes before the races get underway. The next round of the Track Safari will also be held at the Lausitzring. Tickets for the new highlight are available online at dtm.com.

Key facts, DEKRA Lausitzring, Klettwitz, season races 9 and 10 of 16
Track length: 3.478 metres
Layout: twelve turns (five right turns, seven left turns), driven anti-clockwise
2022 winner, race 1: Sheldon van der Linde (BMW M4 GT3, Schubert Motorsport)
2022 winner, race 2: Sheldon van der Linde (BMW M4 GT3, Schubert Motorsport)

Trio of chasers eager to pick up points
Championship leader Preining enjoyed a strong first half of the season. The Porsche driver of Manthey EMA has been convincingly consistent and picked up the most points in the eight races thus far as well as each of the qualifying sessions. The 25-year-old should fare better at the DEKRA Lausitzring than he did last year, when he retired from both races. Second-placed Sheldon van der Linde (ZA) has fonder memories of the venue hosting the fifth round of the season; he celebrated his only DTM double win to date in Lusatia in the BMW M4 GT3 in 2022. If the defending champion from South Africa were to repeat his success, he would be able to close the gap of 28 points between him and the top of the table and give a fresh lease of life to Mission Defend Title.

Just one point behind van der Linde are Mirko Bortolotti (I) and Ricardo Feller (CH), level on points. The Italian in particular should be especially motivated in the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 after his first DTM win at the Nürburgring. Number six in the table, Lucas Auer (A), is also in form. After a lukewarm start to the season, the Mercedes-AMG works driver has continuously gained momentum and, finishing in second and third place, was the driver with the largest points haul in the Eifel region. The DEKRA Lausitzring is also one of the Austrian’s favourite tracks; he celebrated the first DTM win of his career there in 2016. René Rast (Bregenz) has enjoyed success at the track near Dresden three times and is always good for a top place in the BMW M4 GT3.

Spotlight on local hero Maximilian Paul
A special race weekend awaits Maximilian Paul. After his sensational success at the Nürburgring, when he drove from 13th on the grid to victory in challenging conditions in the rain, the Lamborghini junior driver is full of confidence heading into his home event. The fans are excited to watch their local hero race and are hoping that Paul will put in another spectacular performance for GRT Grasser Racing Team at the DEKRA Lausitzring. “It is cool to be coming home with a win and to drive in front of my home fans. I finished in third and fifth place there in the ADAC GT Masters last year and I know the Lausitzring well. But the same is also true of many other drivers,” said the 23-year-old. After his victory at the Nürburgring, Paul is highly motivated for the upcoming event: “The DTM only has top drivers who are fast on every track. I enjoy competing with the best and will go all out again at my home event.”

Angular course with very few straights
This year, the steep turn after the start-finish straight will not be part of the course at the DEKRA Lausitzring. Instead, the drivers will make a left turn into the angular infield – delivering even more action for spectators. With a total of twelve turns and very few straights, the 3.478-kilometre track is one of the most technically demanding DTM tracks. The top speed is reached on the start-finish straight, which measures in at over 600 metres.

DTM After Race Party by Sunshine Live on Saturday
At the 3.478-kilometre DEKRA Lausitzring, motorsport enthusiasts are particularly looking forward to the second DTM Classic start of the season. Historic racing machines from DTM history and various motorsport eras make for spectacular entertainment. The ADAC GT4 Germany offers plenty of overtaking manoeuvres and wheel-to-wheel duels; entrants will be battling for wins at the fourth round of the season. The Porsche Carrera Cup Germany will also be in action with 32 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars and 16,000 PS. The BMW M2 Cup rounds off the attractive supporting programme at the DEKRA Lausitzring.

Fans can also look forward to great entertainment in the DTM Fan Zone, where the Sunshine Live After Race Party with DJ Falk will be held from 17:00 to 20:00 CEST on Saturday.

Every championship race live on ProSieben
TV partner ProSieben is broadcasting all 16 races of the season live on free-view television. Qualifying is streamed live on ran.de. In Austria, fans can follow the races live on the Salzburg private station ServusTV. The DTM is shown live or on catch-up TV in more than 150 territories around the world.